Two people were killed and 19 others injured in a mass shooting at a block party in Detroit on Sunday, according to Michigan State Police. The shooting occurred in the early morning hours and is the latest in a series of violent incidents in the city.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, the latest Democrat who has controlled the city for the past 62 years, banned unregulated block parties in a media briefing on Monday. “We’re not going to have neighbors becoming hostages in their own homes this summer, and that’s what’s happening,” Duggan said.
The shooting happened on the city’s east side at around 2:25 a.m. on Sunday, according to the Detroit Police Department. The department reported that multiple people were shot, resulting in the loss of two lives. Investigators and forensic personnel are analyzing evidence from the scene and will continue their work through the weekend.
The violence at the block party is the latest in a string of violent incidents in Detroit over the past few weeks. According to WDIV-TV, the shooting is one of multiple shootings that have occurred at outdoor get-togethers since the Fourth of July.
The Detroit Police Department announced a new initiative to address the violence at block parties. The initiative will require hosts to apply for permits, advise police that they are throwing the event, and get permission from 75 percent of their neighbors. “We’re going to make it clear that right now the goal is not to chase the partygoers but to go after the party organizers,” Police Chief James White said.
Despite the initiative, no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. The victims ranged in age from 17 to 27, and 15 of them were women.
The shooting is part of a larger trend of violence in Democrat-run cities over the Fourth of July weekend. According to the Associated Press, at least 33 people were killed in violent incidents across the country over the holiday weekend, including 11 in Chicago.
